


Letters to You

by BluestheCriminalWhirlwind



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Letters, Mutual Pining, Skye is Nick's Sister
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-25 23:53:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30097056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BluestheCriminalWhirlwind/pseuds/BluestheCriminalWhirlwind
Summary: “I w-wrote you letters.”Nick looked at Judy, her form barely hidden in the shadows from the bridge.“I-I did,” Judy replied before wrung out her paws and softly added,  “I w-wrote you letters every single day. I d-didn’t know where you lived, so I never sent them…”“You missed me that much that you wrote me letters?” Nick asked, touched.Judy nodded, her ears lowered and her eyes glistening with unshed tears.“Tell you what,” Nick began as he offered a hesitant smile. “I’ll help you ruin that Sheep’s plot. But afterward, I want you to read me every single letter.”ORJudy returns to Zootopia to reunite with Nick so they could take down Bellwether. During their tearful reunion, Judy admits to Nick that she wrote to him every day. Touched, Nick agrees to help her as long as she reads him every single letter in return. Little did the two know, these letters would be the catalyst for bringing their mutual affections to the surface.
Relationships: Bonnie Hopps/Stu Hopps, Fangmeyer/Wolford (Zootopia), Finnick & Nick Wilde, Gideon Grey & Judy Hopps, Gideon Grey/Sharla, Jack Savage/Skye, Judy Hopps & Jack Savage, Judy Hopps & Sharla, Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Mrs. Otterton & Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde & Nick Wilde's Mother, Skye & Nick Wilde
Comments: 9
Kudos: 52





	1. The Reunion

"I have to fix this. But I can't do it without you. A- And after we're done, you can hate me, a-and that'll be fine, because I was a horrible friend, and I hurt you, and you...and you can walk away, knowing that you were right all along - I really am just a dumb bunny," Judy tearfully told him. "P-Please Nick? I need you…"

Nick Wilde was in a tough place, both mentally and emotionally.

The last time he had seen and heard this misguided bunny had been three months ago at the conference.

The first month was hard.

Everywhere he went, he saw her face. It didn't matter if it was on television, billboards, even graffiti; he could not escape the Famous Bunny Cop, Judy Hopps. He had believed in Judy and her alone and genuinely thought that she returned that sentiment.

But when she turned her back on him, he became crooked.

He tried to drink his sorrow away with any alcohol he could grab. He heavily pushed his scams without any regard for his safety.

He had even gotten into fights. Somehow, this bunny had burrowed herself deep into his heart, and without Judy, he had spiraled out of control.

It took Finnick and his sister, Skye, to bring him back from going off the deep end and winding up dead.

It was a miracle he survived it.

After the swift intervention, Nick spent the second month hating Judy.

She forcefully pushed her way into his life, turned it upside down, and made him believe that someone believed in him.

She even made him believe he could be a cop of all fucking things. He hated her for reigniting the fire in his heart, only to cruelly snuff it out.

But despite wanting to hate the Bunny Cop, Nick couldn't because he missed her. He missed her determination, her enthusiasm, her quick wit, her optimistic attitude. He missed her laugh, her smile, her expressive eyes.

He hated that he missed Judy so much.

And that led him to the third month, where he entered a deep depression. There were no more scams, no more smooth-talking, no more jokes. The enjoyment he had gotten out of them was gone, leaving him empty.

He knew Skye and Finnick were worried about him after that first month of chaos, but he would be okay.

At least, that's what he told them.

All he did was sit at the bridge with sunglass over his eyes, wondering why he cared so much about that foolish, naïve bunny and why he was unable to face another day without her.

So after three months, when he caught her scent and heard her voice, he was in shock.

And when Judy stood next to him talking, it took all of Nick's willpower not to look at her as all the anger and hurt came rushing back to the surface.

And now he stood there, his hand holding Judy's carrot pen, his thumb on the "Record" button as he heard her panting and sobbing behind him.

All he wanted to do was turn around, crack a joke that told her that he forgave her, but he couldn't. The hurt that she caused ran deep.

"That was a good speech," Nick finally spoke, a faint quiver in his voice, wishing he had kept his glasses on due to how teary he looked. "Damn good," Nick let out a soft laugh. "How do I know that this isn't a trick?"

"A trick?" He heard Judy whisper. She sounded so heartbroken, and it made his heart clench in return.

"You said you needed me to help you, right?" Nick questioned. "What if everything that you said, you're just saying so I can help?"

"Y-You think I would do that?" Judy asked him with hurt in her voice.

"There is a lot of things I thought you wouldn't do before that day," Nick admitted as he lowered his head.

"Nick, y-you don't know how much that stings," Judy told him as she sniffled, no doubt crying once again. "But I understand….But I missed you, Nick. Truly. More than you w-would ever know."

"You did?" Nick questioned as he turned his head slightly.

"I-I did," Judy replied before wrung out her paws and softly added, "I w-wrote you letters every single day. I d-didn't know where you lived, so I never sent them…"

Nick turned around to look at Judy fully, her form barely hidden in the shadows from the bridge. But despite the shade around her, he could see her amethyst eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"You missed me that much that you wrote me letters every day?" Nick asked, touched.

No one had ever gone through the hassle of writing him a letter, especially one for every single day.

Judy nodded, her ears lowered and her eyes glistening as tears fell down her face.

"Tell you what," Nick began as he offered a hesitant smile. "I'll help you ruin that Sheep's plot. But afterward, I want you to read me every single letter."

He watched as Judy's eyes widened in surprise as a smile began to appear on her face. "Really?" she asked with a hopeful tone.

Nick nodded.

Judy smiled and inhaled as tears of joy fell down her face.

"Come on, get in here," Nick said as he opened his arms. "Can't have you thwarting the mayor with tears In your eyes."

Judy sniffled as she wiped one away before she walked up to Nick and put her head on hiss mid-torso as she started to weep again. "Oh, you bunnies, you're so emotional," Nick whispered as he patted Judy's head and pulled her closer into a tight hug, trying to keep tears of joy from falling down his face.


	2. The First Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick takes Judy to his home after busting Bellwether’s plot open, and Judy keeps to her word.

The night had been chaotic.

After their reunion, Judy and Nick chased down Duke Weaselton down, nearly had him iced by Mr. Big, spied on Bellwether's henchman, Doug Ramses, got into a wreck, bumped into Bellwether herself, got injured, and tricked her into revealing her plot in the open.

After a quick hospital visit due to their injuries, where Judy was stitched up, and Nick wrapped up, Chief Bogo had Benjamin Clawhauser take them to Judy's truck, which Nick drove to his apartment.

It was 11:45 P.M when Nick, with Judy in his arms, arrived at his small one-bedroom second-floor apartment. "Be careful," Judy told him, concern heavy in her voice when she heard Nick groan in pain.

"I'll be fine," Nick replied as he slowly entered his apartment and used his tail to shut the door behind him. Carefully, the fox walked down the hall, past the kitchen and the half-bathroom until he reached the living room.

The living room was a normal one.

The walls were painted in a beige color with a burgundy-colored lazy-boy chair and matching sofa, a patio door, and a flatscreen television that sat in an entertainment system.

Nick sat Judy on the sofa before sitting beside her with a deep sigh. "What a day," Nick sighed out.

"It really was," Judy yawned out as she rested her head on Nick's shoulder.

"I gotta say, your plan went off without a hitch. And here I thought you were a dumb bunny," Nick joked, which caused Judy to chuckle. "But I'm curious; when we met up, you said it was Bellwether that planned it all. How did you know?"

"There were a few things that I noticed about her," Judy said as she moved away from Nick to look at him. "Did you know that when a sheep is frustrated or distressed, one of their ears points back, and the other ear points forward?"

"No," Nick replied.

"Anytime she was near Lionheart, her ears would get that way," Judy answered. "I mean, from the brief interactions I saw of her, they seemed to have a strong dislike of one another, and he was a bit of a jerk, so I didn't think anything of it. But when she was with us, her ears were like that too with you," Judy explained.

"Wow, where did you learn that from?" Nick asked.

"To become a ZPD officer, you have to take a mammal behavioral course during training. It helps us understand the mood of the mammal so we can deescalate the situation," Judy explained.

"When I gave my speech, both of her ears were pointed backward the entire time, even after I gave those bigoted, stupid views," Judy sighed out. "When they are pointed back, it means they're happy or calm. I remember wondering why she calm or pleased about the situation while everyone was in a frenzy. She even said I did fine, despite the chaos. She even sounded happy about it."

"But it wasn't just that," Judy said. "There were little things Bellwether would say. Like, she would always refer to her and me as the "little guys" and how we should look out for one another. I thought she was supportive until a good friend of mine told me that "Looking out for the Little Guy" was doublespeak for something more insidious."

"I see…" Nick murmured. "So she disliked preds. Most prey does, unfortunately. Can't go off that alone."

"I know," Judy said. "But something Lionheart said the night we arrested him had been knawing at me. He said that we didn't know why the attacks were happening. And it was true. Even when I was gone, the attacks continued, but I started to realize something. They never happened in public in broad daylight."

Nick tilted his head.

"The news always said that the attacks were always at night, and the mammal was always alone. Add that to Bellwether successfully becoming mayor and talks about some tame collar for predators last week? Add in all the things I mentioned before, and things start to get suspicious, " Judy explained. "It seemed to wrap itself up in a neat little bow. But after I found out about the night howler being a plant, it was like clicked in my head. But I only had a theory, not proof. Not until tonight."

"W-Wait! You mean you weren't even sure until tonight?!" Nick exclaimed.

Judy gave a sheepish smile. "All I knew was that Bellwether had something to do with this, going by her body language and her doublespeak. All circumstantial. I had no idea that she was the main driving force behind it until tonight," Judy replied sheepishly.

"You managed to break a case like this because you had a hunch. You are a cop," Nick sighed out with a shake of his head. Judy could see his eyes sparkling in amusement, and it made her tail rise in excitement, and she had to struggle to keep herself from grinding her teeth in joy.

She missed seeing that sparkle In his eyes.

"Hey, body language is important," Judy playfully answered, her right ear flicking slightly.

"Is it? Then tell me what my body is telling you," Nick challenged.

Judy observed him for a moment. His tail was gently swaying side to side, and his ears were turned outward but not pressed against his skull.

"You're playful," Judy answered.

"Nice. Big brain on you," Nick said with a positive tone. "I'll have to be careful next time."

Judy laughed and carefully slid off the couch. "Hey, hey," Nick said as she felt him put his hands on her and put her back on the sofa. "Remember, Doctor said for you not to put weight on that leg," Nick said.

"I know," Judy pouted. "But I need to get the box of letters…."

Nick's gaze softened. "We don't have to do that if you don't want to, Judy."

Judy felt her flutter when he used her real name.

Judy lowered her ears to keep Nick from seeing how red the inside was and petted the bottom of it. "I made a promise, and I'm going to keep it."

"Are you sure?" Nick questioned.

Judy paused.

She had written many embarrassing things in those letters, but she made a promise, and a Hopps never breaks those. "I'm sure," Judy answered.

"Well, that box is downstairs in your truck. Sit tight, I'll grab it for you," Nick said as he stood up with difficulty.

"Nick," Judy said as she reached out for him.

Nick turned around to look at her curiously.

Judy took a breath, trying to keep her feelings at bay as she said, "Thanks for helping me tonight."

"Anytime," Nick said with a smile as he walked down the hall and left, leaving Judy alone in the apartment.

Judy reached into her pocket to pull out her cellphone and dialed it. After a few moments, her mother's face appeared on the screen, frowning heavily. _"Judith Laverne Hopps!"_ she exclaimed.

"Hey, mom," Judy said with her ears still lowered, this time in shame.

 _"Where in the world are you?!"_ Bonnie yelled.

"I'm back in Zootopia. Before you freak out, I realized something about a case, and I came back to solve it," Judy quickly explained.

Bonnie let out a sigh and replied, _"Why did it take you this long to reach us? We found out you were gone by seeing your room cleared out."_

"I had to leave quickly before something bad happened," Judy answered. "I should have told you guys. I'm sorry."

 _"I'm just glad you're safe, honey,"_ Bonnie said with a small, supportive smile. "Are you back at your apartment?"

"No, I'm staying with a friend," Judy answered, not sure if she wanted to tell her mother she was at Nick's temporarily.

Due to the last three months' events, her mother understood and somewhat accepted her feelings towards the Todd, but Judy did not want her mother to freak out.

 _"Okay. Just let us know when you are situated at home, alright?"_ Bonnie asked.

Judy nodded.

 _"I'll let your father and siblings know that you're okay and safe. We'll talk tomorrow, okay?"_ Bonnie asked.

"Of course," Judy smiled.

Bonnie blew her a kiss and said, "Goodnight, sweetie," before she hung up.

"Whew, that went well," Judy said as she then fiddled on her phone.

A few minutes later, Nick opened up the door with a yellow crate in his hands. "You weren't kidding about the everyday bit, Carrots," Nick said as he carefully walked into the living room and sat the crate down.

"You thought that I was joking?" Judy asked with amusement in her eyes. "I also ordered us a pizza. I wasn't sure what type of pizza you wanted, so I asked for caterpillars and cheese for you and a carrot pizza for me."

"That sounds perfect," Nick said as he sat beside her once again while sitting the crate on the table.

"So while we wait for that," Judy reached for the crate and began to thumb through the pile, looking for the very first one.

"I see numbers on the edge of those," Nick commented. "Of course, you would file them in numerical order."

"Gotta be organized, Nick," Judy playfully replied before her eyes widened. "Found it," Judy said as she waved the letter in front of his face.

"Nice job," Nick congratulated with an amused tone, only for Judy to hit the tip of his nose with the letter carefully.

Judy placed the letter in both hands and stared at it for a moment before she swallowed and tore the top of the envelope open, and as she removed the folded paper, Nick said, "Judy."

Judy looked up at him, curious, and saw a serious look in his eyes. "If at any point you decide you want to stop reading these letters, just say the word, okay?" He asked.

Touched by his concern, Judy smiled and nodded. "Okay."

She then unfolded the paper and began to read.

_"Hey, Nick._

_I hope this finds you well. You're a very hard fox to find. I reached out to Finnick to see where you were, but Finnick did not want to tell me. Said he wouldn't sell out his boy to a cop like me._

_I tried to explain why I needed to find you, but he packed up his truck and drove away. I understood why he didn't want to tell me, but I was mad nonetheless. He's a good mammal for wanting to protect you from me._

_I thought about asking Fru-Fru to ask her father to find you, but considering how terrified you were of him last time you saw him, I thought against it._

_I know you don't want to get this letter or hear from me ever again. And I understand that, but I need you to know that I'm sorry, and I will do anything to make it up to you. Just say that word, and I'll do it. I promise._

_Hope to talk to you soon,  
Judy."_

"You tried to look for me?" Nick murmured, his tone gentle and surprised.

"I did," Judy said as her ears lowered. "But you were tough to find. Where were you?"

Nick hummed softly and opened his mouth to answer, but his doorbell rang. "That must be the pizza. Let me go grab that, and we'll continue to this conversation, okay?"

Judy nodded with a smile.

"Don't take too long now," Judy teased.

"For you? Never." Nick replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is the end of this chapter. So, I went into detail regarding how Judy somewhat figured out that Bellwether was the bad guy but made it more as a theory that was confirmed. I wanted to show that sharp mind of hers at work and follow that police gut of hers. I had to rewatch all of Bellwether's scenes twice to see how her ears were positioned. It was tough lol. 
> 
> The first letter was pretty tame and I hope the tone came out as hopeful but they do get worst so it will get sadder as we go on. But I hope you guys enjoyed. See you in the next one!

**Author's Note:**

> Ahoy-hoy! Blues here with another fic regarding Zootopia. This idea would not leave my head. I was unsure if Zootopia had a fic like this on AO3 so I decided, what the hell, let's do it. So I hope you all enjoyed and if you want to see more, let me know!


End file.
